The incident occurred in Clay County, Florida, near Jacksonville. Officials aren’t sure why the eagle was flying so low, but the incident occurred in the wake of last week’s Hurricane Matthew – which means anything is possible.

Apparently, a Clay County driver saw another car passing through an intersection with a strange shape emerging from its grille. The driver initially thought it was a “prop” of some kind, until noticing a moving head.

The driver chased the car down, attempting to tell the driver that there was an animal of some kind stuck in its grille. Turns out, that animal was our nation’s national bird.

Police were called promptly, who arrived at the scene with animal control experts. Using a large cage (and a lot of cautious patience), the bird was safely removed and turned over to the Bird Emergency Aid and Kare Sanctuary (BEAKS).

Cynthia Mosling, the owner of BEAKS, told CNN that the eagle is a fully-mature male, appearing to be at least seven years old. The bird has been named Matthew in honor of the hurricane.

Mosling says Matthew is “standing up and alert” and doesn’t seem to have any serious injuries. Mosling says she plans to bring Matthew back to her sanctuary, give him a checkup and let him go if all is well.